You know those bizarre times when something you had never heard of all of a sudden comes up in conversation 5 times in 2 days? It’s certainly an odd phenomenon, and as someone who likes to indulge in some superstition here and there I’ll try and take away some extra meaning from whatever that “new thing” happens to be. This week, I’ve quickly gone from never-in-my-life having heard of Tortilla Soup to now having it be my absolutely, very favorite thing to eat at Pleasant Pops. It’s one of three new menu items on our lunch and dinner menu, and though this week alone I’ve heard about Tortilla Soup from multiple sources, described to me in many ways, after one taste of it here and I’ll declare myself a lifelong fan.

If, like me, you’re new to the brilliant world of Tortilla Soup, let me explain. Our Tortilla Soup is made with tomatoes, garlic, onions, cilantro and jalepenos. The beauty, however, is in the toppings: sharp cheddar cheese, avocado and tortilla chips. Once the cheese melts and the tortilla chips soften just enough, this soup is nearly perfect. The chunky tomato base makes for a delicious soup on it’s own but once you add the toppings and have so many different textures going on, it’s really a complete meal.

The two other new menu items, the Chickpea Salad and Roasted Eggplant Sandwich are quite tasty as well. Firstly, the Chickpea salad is a spin-off from the Black Bean Quinoa Salad with the spinach base, chopped red pepper and sharp cheddar cheese. However, with a scoop of our house made chickpea mash (chickpeas, olives and red onion) and new lemon-tahini dressing, this salad brings an entirely new flavor profile. Secondly, the Roasted Eggplant sandwich requires the triumphant return of ciabatta bread to our menu. With a few hearty slices of roasted eggplant, our house-made roasted red pepper spread, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a spread of mayo, this is a great winter sandwich.

Finally, a few new items have recently returned to our drink menu in the spirit of the holidays: Egg Nog Lattes (made with amazingly decadent egg nog from Trickling Springs Creamery), Peppermint Mochas (with house-made peppermint and chocolate syrups) and Peppermint Hot Pops (my personal favorite). It’s truly a fantastic time to be a Pleasant Pops patron!